Replace a file
When you publish a new edition, fix a typo, or re-export a file, replace the existing file rather than uploading a new one. Replacing swaps the contents in place, so every product it is linked to and every order that already has it now serves the new version. Existing download links keep working.
Uploading the new version as a separate file does the opposite: the new file is attached to nothing, and customers carry on downloading the old one.
Before you begin
- Replacing affects customers who already bought. The next time they download, they get the new file. If that is not what you want, upload a separate file instead and link it deliberately.
- Keep the file type the same. Replacing a PDF with a ZIP works, but customers who expected a PDF get something else, and PDF watermarking will no longer apply.
- Replacing does not notify anyone. Tell buyers separately if they need to know. See Send new download links after updating a product.
Set it up
- Click Filemonk in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
- Click Content library in the app's menu, on the Files uploaded tab.
- Open the file you want to update.
- Click Replace file.
- Add the new version in the upload window and upload it.
A File replaced message confirms the swap. The file keeps its name, its links to products, and its place in every order.
For a file added by link rather than upload, there is nothing to replace: edit the file and paste a new URL instead.
What customers will see
Nothing changes on their side: same download page, same links. The next download delivers the new contents. Anyone who already downloaded the old version keeps the copy they have, which is why a notification email is worth sending for a significant change.
Check your setup
Open the file and use Open file to confirm the new version is being served. Then open a recent order for a product that uses it and download from that order's page, so you see what a customer sees. See Create a test order.
Troubleshooting
Customers still get the old version
Two usual causes:
- You uploaded a new file instead of replacing, so the product is still linked to the original. Check Products linked on both files. See Manage your files.
- Their browser cached the earlier download. Ask them to download again in a private window.
The watermark on the new PDF looks wrong or missing
Replacing clears the watermark that was prepared for existing orders, and Filemonk re-stamps the new file the next time it is downloaded. Allow a moment, then download again. See Protect PDFs with a watermark.
Replacing pushed me over my storage limit
The new version is larger than the old one, and your library total is measured against your plan. Delete files you no longer sell, or upgrade. See Upload files.
I replaced the wrong file
There is no undo. Replace it again with the correct original if you still have it, which is why keeping local copies of what you sell is worth the disk space.
FAQ
Should I replace, or upload a new file?
Replace when it is the same product, improved: a corrected edition, a re-export, a new revision. Upload separately when it is genuinely a different deliverable that customers should get in addition.
Does replacing reset download limits?
No. A customer who has used up their downloads does not get more because the file changed. Reset the limit on the order if they should. See Reset download limits for an order.
Can I replace a file with a different name?
The file keeps its existing name in Filemonk regardless of what the new upload is called. Rename it yourself if the name should change, remembering customers see it.
Do I need to tell customers?
Not technically, but you often should. For a meaningful update, email past buyers so they know to download again. See Send new download links after updating a product.
Related guides
- Manage your files, to check what a file is linked to first.
- Send new download links after updating a product, to tell past buyers.
- Upload files, if you want a separate file instead.
